SMB: Subconian Dilemma
by WayWardWonderer
Summary: Sequel to 'Subconian Fever'. Mario and Luigi delve into the mystery behind Mario's bizarre dream and try to figure out who is responsible for the sickness that almost killed him. Turns out there's a bigger problem and only the Mario Bros. can help.
1. The Dream

Luigi on the edge of Mario's bed, relieved to see his big brother finally awake and coherent. Mario's memory of the events leading up to his mysterious illness, his 'Subconian Fever', however, seemed to be blocked out.

"So... you don't remember anything about returning home and getting sick?" Luigi asked his weary eyed brother.

"No. Not a thing." Mario looked around the bedroom in a mild daze. He recognized his surroundings but didn't remember how he got into the bedroom to begin with.

"What _do_ you remember?" Luigi asked as he rubbed his sore shoulder.

"Well..." Mario paused and tried to focus his train of thought on his last moments before falling ill. "I know I went into the Forever Forest, but I can't remember why."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Mario looked down at his arm where the Boo had bitten him. "It's almost like going to the Forever Forest was a dream in itself."

"Do you remember what you were dreaming about while you were sick?"

"A little. But it was so weird that it's really hard to explain... I'm not sure if I could even start."

"Try." Luigi encouraged.

"Okay... Let me see."

Peach walked into the bedroom with an ice pack and a glass of water in her hands. "For your shoulder Luigi." Peach gave the ice to the injured hero who gladly put it on his wrapped up shoulder. Peach then gave the water to Mario.

Mario took the glass and tried to begin explaining his dream. "Well, I remember I was falling through a big red door. A voice was calling to me from beyond the door and I was drawn to it. I don't remember opening it but I do remember I started falling once I was on the other side of the door. There were tall green hills, waterfalls and scrawny trees across the landscape. Shy Guys, Tweeters and Snifits were patrolling the land."

"Sounds like a typical day here in the Mushroom Kingdom." Luigi joked as Peach sat on the bed next to him. She was also curious about Mario's dream.

"Yeah, but then I was trying to get a key to open a locked door and I was chased by weird masks that only came after me when I picked the key up."

Luigi shuddered at the thought. "I think I would've left the key and ran for my life."

"After I got through the locked doors with keys and used crystal orbs to open bizarre gates shaped like an eagle's face, I kept crossing different continents. I walked through a grassy meadow, two deserts, an oasis, a wintery tundra, and a mountain... and finally I was in a kingdom in the sky."

"A floating kingdom?" Luigi tried to picture it. "That is weird. But also kind of beautiful."

"Yeah, and I was about to enter a large temple when I finally woke up. The whole time I could hear a faint voice calling my name, asking for help."

"Do you know whose voice it was?"

Mario shook his head. "No. But I did hear it before. It was too familiar."

"When?"

"The night _before_ I went to the Forever Forest."

"Mario..." Luigi wanted to believe his brother but his story was too fantastic. "are you sure about the voice? I mean, you were very sick and sometimes fever dreams can make things seem real when they're not."

"I'm sure of it." Mario confirmed. "And I'm sure there's someone out there, somewhere, asking for my help."

"Help? From what?"

"Not from a 'what', but from a 'who'."

"Do you know who?"

"Yeah, someone named 'Wart."

Upon hearing the name Luigi paled.

The Dark Realm Boo who had bitten Mario mentioned a king by the very same name...

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	2. A New Journey

Luigi rubbed his shoulder again. "You're sure about the name. Wart?"

Mario nodded. "Absolutely." He could see the look of concern on Luigi's face. "What is it bro?"

"Well, when I went to get the cure for your fever, the Boo I encountered said he and the other Boos were working for someone named King Wart. I guess he was telling the truth!"

"Then we have to stop him." Mario scrambled out of his bed and grabbed his red hat. "We have to move."

"Easy Mario! You're still weak, you were really sick!"

"I know, I know..." Mario admitted he was feeling off his game. "But whoever this Wart is trying conquer still needs our help. We have to go."

"Right." Luigi knew that Mario was going to go back to the Forever Forest, with or without him. "Let's go."

"Hold it you two!" Princess Peach didn't want either of them to go on such a dangerous quest, especially after they've both been weakened physically. "You can't just run off and fight someone you don't know anything about."

Mario and Luigi exchanged looks of embarrassment. Mario spoke up softly. "Princess, you know as well as I do that anyone who aligns with the Boos is up to no good! And if they can use such sneaky tactics like poison, sickness and dream manipulation, then we don't have time to waste."

Peach bowed her head and sighed, knowing that Mario was right. "Okay, but please be careful!"

"I will. I promise." Mario took her hand in his. "We'll be back soon!"

Luigi tipped his hat to Peach. "I'll look after him, don't worry."

"Thank you. Good luck!"

Mario and Luigi, one brother recovering from a serious illness and the other with his shoulder bandaged, proceeded to run toward the Forever Forest.

What evil, what new enemy lurking in the shadows, was already waiting for them.

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	3. Into the Forest

Mario and Luigi exited Toad Town and crossed over into the Forever Forest. The forest itself was intimidating which very few creatures dared to enter.

Luigi shuddered a little. "Blegh, this forest still gives me the creeps!"

"C'mon Weege, it's not that bad."

"Says you. Last time I was here I had to fight off a Dark Realm Boo and steal its fang!"

The two venturing brothers walked through the forest, treading the enigmatic trails that easily misled the naïve traveler. Cackling flowers and red eyed tree watched them, mocking them, as they continued their bold journey.

Mario stopped short on the trail, Luigi bumping into him in the process. "Mario? What's wrong?"

"This is where... this is the last place I remember being before I got sick. Something important..."

"What?" Luigi looked around the trail suspiciously.

"I'm not..." Mario's eye was drawn to the heavy overgrowth of the wild flora along the trail. "What a minute..."

Luigi watched as his brother began fumbling through the weeds, looking for something.

"Mario?"

"Just a second..."

A rustling from the bushes from the path they had tread caught Luigi's ear. "M-Mario?" He stammered through his scared, chattering teeth.

"Be patient." Mario was still looking through the weeds, never looking up at Luigi.

A sudden, impossibly cold breeze sent a chill up Luigi's spine. He grabbed his injured shoulder and turned around quickly. "MARIO!?"

"Luigi, what's your-" Mario turned and saw a very large, very angry Boo with a missing fang glaring at the two brothers. "Oh..."

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	4. Allies to the Rescue

The Dark Realm Boo glared angrily at Luigi for freezing him and angrily at Mario for being cured of its venomous bite.

"I, uh..." Luigi stammered fearfully. "told you the ice... would... melt..."

The Boo, unamused, snarled and prepared to bombard the brothers with its ethereal power, when a sudden gust of wind from behind the two adventuring heroes stopped the Boo before it had a chance to attack.

Mario and Luigi turned and looked at the thousands of Boos all hovering behind them. Lady Bow herself was leading the army of Boos. "My dear friends, allow me to handle this." With a wave of her fan pink fan the army of Boos charged from behind Lady Bow and overwhelmed the single Dark Realm Boo.

The Boos managed to run off the Dark Realm Boo and save the brothers from imminent harm.

"Thank you Lady Bow." Mario turned his attention to his former adventuring partner. "You have amazing timing as usual."

Lady Bow smiled at the compliment. "I see that Luigi was successful in his venture and you are on the mend."

"Yeah, I feel fine." Mario claimed as he resumed digging through the weeds.

Luigi, still shaking from the encounter, tried to regain his composure as he leaned down next to Mario. "What are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for..." He pulled his hand back from the weeds. "This!" In his palm was single, large, brass key.

"A key? What's it for?" Luigi asked.

Lady Bow recognized it. "Ah, the key to the Dream Door."

"Dream Door?" Luigi was a little confused. "Never heard of it."

"I'm not surprised." Lady Bow turned to face the trail that led back to her private mansion. "Come. We have much to discuss. Please tell me Mario, where did you find the key to begin with?"

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	5. The Key

Mario stared at the key in his hand as he and Luigi followed Lady Bow back to her mansion. "I know I went looking for this key for a reason, but I can't remember what it was or where I found it..."

Luigi offered a suggestion. "Maybe you went looking for it because of your dream."

"Maybe." Mario turned the key over and inspected it. "That would just about as much sense as anything else."

Lady Bow turned and faced her honorary guests as they crossed onto the mansion's property. "The Dream Door seeks out those who are worthy enough to cross from one dimension to another."

"Worthy?" Mario asked curiously.

"Only those who are incorruptible are invited to the Dream Realm known as Subcon."

"Subcon?" Luigi repeated. "Mario's Subconian Fever just has to be connected to the Dream Realm, there's no denying it."

Lady Bow nodded in agreement. "I believe you are correct."

Mario slipped the key into his pocket. "How do we enter the Dream Realm?"

Lady Bow smiled. "There are seven doors that connect the Dream Realm to the Waking Realm, the latter of which we live. One of the seven doors is located in the basement below my mansion."

"Really?" Mario sounded relieved.

"The door has been guarded for many generations of Boos and will continue to be guarded for as long as I remain in the mansion."

Luigi was still confused. "What about the key? Where did it come from?"

Lady Bow shook her head. "The key is never found in the same location twice. It's resting place is only revealed to the worthy in their dreams."

"Explains why you can't remember much, huh Mario?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Come." Lady Bow led the way to her mansion's large front door. "I trust you to enter the realm and restore peace."

"Restore peace?" Mario looked over at Luigi. "Do you know what's going on?"

"All I know is that when a Dream Key is uncovered it means the other realm is in turmoil and needs a hero."

"Oh. I'm honored. I guess."

Lady Bow smiled at her humble heroic friends. "You must make haste. Please, the Dream Realm needs you."

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	6. The Door

Lady Bow led the heroic brothers into her mansion and down into the basement. With the wave of her pink fan and a chant that only the Boos could understand, a second staircase concealed in the floor of the basement opened up, leading down in a spiral to a secret chamber hidden beneath the mansion.

"Come this way." Lady Bow directed as she floated down the stairs.

Mario, still weak from his illness and Luigi, his shoulder still heavily bandaged, walked down the staircase after their gracious Boo host.

Inside the chamber was a grand door, as blue as sapphire with sunshine gold covering the intricate, ancient carvings depicted on the door.

"The Door to the Dream Realm?" Mario inquired.

Lady Bow nodded. "Beyond this door our realm ceases to exist. All that you see and all that you know are fabrications of dreams, even the denizens are creations of dreams."

"What about the people calling to me?" Mario examined his key again. "Are they dream denizens, too?"

Lady Bow turned and smiled at Mario. "No. The Subcons are peacekeepers and guardians of our dreams. They keep dreams and reality separate from one another. Without the Subcons our dreams would run rampant and we would not be able to differentiate between sleep and awake."

Luigi took a deep breath. "And they're in trouble?"

Lady Bow nodded again. "I fear this to the be the truth. You must save them."

Mario put his hand on Luigi's good shoulder. "Right. We can do this, right bro?"

"Right." Luigi forced himself to smile. "We've faced worse dangers before!"

Mario approached the door with his key. "Then let's go!"

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	7. Welcome to Subcon

Mario held the key in his hand as he approached the door. He was looking for the keyhole when the key itself floated from his hand and began glowing with an ethereal light. The light encompassed the door unlocking it from the other side.

Mario looked at Luigi who was standing nervously at his side. "Ready?"

Luigi only nodded.

The brothers walked up to the door as it slowly opened and a light shined from the other side.

"Whoooooaaa!" Mario cried out as he suddenly found himself falling as he passed through the door. He looked over and saw Luigi was falling next to him. "Luigi?!"

"Mario?!" Luigi yelled back.

Moving quickly the nimble heroes managed to maneuver in mid-air and land safely on their feet on the grassy ground far below. Looking up they saw the door from whence they entered floating high in the sky, beyond reach.

Mario took a breath. "Wow... Can't believe we landed safely!"

Luigi was shaking from the adrenaline inducing freefall. "Yeah... safely." He pointed past Mario. "Look."

Mario turned and he saw several ShyGuys, Snifits and Tweeters patrolling the land. "Just like my dream..."

"Maybe your dream was a warning!"

"Or a guide!" Mario suggested. "The Subconian's wanted me to find my way to them as quickly as possible!"

"Do you know a shortcut?"

"Well..." Mario pondered the notion. "since this world abides by 'dream rules', I think we can make a shortcut of our own!"

"How?"

Mario looked around and pulled a root from the ground. On the other side of the root was a vial of potion. "I have an idea..."

"Where did THAT come from?!"

"Same way I found the key. I looked." Mario smiled.

"Then you chucked it into the weeds! Why?"

"I think... I think something was chasing me and I tossed the key to make it stop."

"Creepy..."

"Yeah." Mario held the potion in his hands. "Follow me, I have an idea!"

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	8. Warp Zone!

Using their swift athletic skills the two brothers made their way across the grassy plain and thunder blue waterfalls. They paid no mind to the ShyGuys, the Tweeters or the Snifits since they were only patrolling the ground rather than directly threatening them. As they traversed the grassy terrain they found themselves at the face of a tall grassy hill. They only direction they had left was 'up'!

"Well?" Mario asked as he slipped the vial of potion into his overall pocket. "Think you can climb the vines?"

Luigi felt the burning pain in his shoulder. "I can try, but I think I'll end up jumping from ledge to ledge instead."

"Whatever's easiest for you, bro!" Mario replied as he started to climb up the tall green vine.

"Yeah, yeah..." Luigi felt a twinge of sibling rivalry in his heart. "easiest..."

Mario climbed up the vines at a steady pace while Luigi bounded from ledge to ledge with the grace of a deer. The brothers, taking their own route up the mountain, reach the top at the same time.

Luigi casually wiped the dirt from his overalls. "That was pretty easy." He teased.

Mario, feeling a little winded after the climb just smirked. "Guess I'm still weak from being sick!"

"Yeah, sure..."

A large white egg suddenly shot through the air and passed between the brothers.

"Whoa!" Luigi cried as he jumped back. "Where'd that come from?"

Mario looked in the direction from whence the projectile originated. "There!" He pointed to the pink colored dinosaur with a pink bow on its head. "From Birdo!"

"Birdo?" Luigi was a little confused. "I thought Birdo and Yoshi were on good terms?"

"Dream realm, remember? This isn't the Birdo we know."

"Oh good. Then if we have to fight..."

"Right. We won't be harming a friend."

"Okay, we can do this!"

Mario and Luigi approached Birdo as she continued to fire eggs at the heroic duo. With perfectly timed jumps and reflexes Luigi stopped the egg and let Mario throw it back at Birdo until she finally surrendered. A crystal orb dropped from her mouth as she fell from the mountain.

"What's with the orb?" Luigi picked the odd object up from the ground only to have it vanish into thin air. "What the...?"

Beyond Birdo's platform a large black gate in the shape of a falcon's head opened its mouth wide open.

Mario put his hand on Luigi's shoulder. "We keep moving. Let's go!"

"Right behind you!"

In a bizarre flash of light the brothers found themselves standing on two isolated hills jutting out from the ground. A Pidjit on a flying carpet was overhead.

Mario pointed at the hovering foe. "Want to catch a ride?"

"Sure!" Luigi jumped up as high as he could into the air and landed on the carpet. He tossed the Pidjit aside easily and lowered the carpet toward Mario so his brother could hop on, too.

"Nice one Weege!"

Sailing through the blue skies the brothers landed on the other side of the canyon and came face to face with Shyguys and Ninjis, who were guarding a red door that led into the mountain. "Hm, we need a key!"

"From where?"

"There!" Mario pointed at a large vase sitting on the ground. "I'll be back!" Mario disappeared down the vase and reemerged with the key in his hands. "Catch Luigi!" He threw the key to his brother.

Luigi jumped past the patrolling goons and unlocked the door just as a creepy mask dived down at Mario. With the key gone the mask vanished. "What was THAT?!"

Mario pushed Luigi through the door. "That was a Phanto. One chased me through the Forever Forest until I dropped the dream key."

"Why didn't it come after you again when you picked it back up?"

"I think the Boos fended it off."

"Good!" Luigi looked around at the interior cave of the mountain. "Now, how to we progress?"

Mario led the way through the cave, pulling up weeds and finding bombs attached to the roots. "Like this!"

Using a few bombs Mario cleared the way through the cave and back into the daylight. As he and Luigi reached the end of the mountain they faced off with another Birdo. Just as the Birdo before them, upon her defeat she dropped a crystal orb that opened the nearby falcon gate.

Once more the brothers vanished in a flash to another section of the grassy plains. Luigi sighed. "I thought you were going to find us a shortcut?"

"I am." Mario took the vial of potion from his pocket. "It's just past the waterfalls and mountain!"

"Sounds easy enough..."

After leaping past Snifits, Shyguys and Tweeters through the multiple waterfalls, Mario led the way to a lone vase sitting just past the red door leading into the mountain. Mario dropped the potion on top of the vase which created a second door. "Follow me."

Inside the new door the sky was dark and mirrored, as if it were nighttime. Mario dove down the vase and Luigi followed.

On the other side of the vase Mario and Luigi emerged in a cloud new world.

"Where are we NOW?"

"Near Wart's domain. The Subconians need us, let's keep going!"

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	9. Castle in the Clouds

Luigi stood in awe at the kingdom in the clouds that acted as home to the evil King Wart. He rubbed at his sore shoulder and took in the magnificent sight.

"Wow... A castle in the sky. This really IS a dream realm!"

Mario patted Luigi's good shoulder. "C'mon. We have to start going up!"

"Right..." Luigi followed Mario's lead as they ascended the impossible cloud platforms. "Hey Mario, how'd you know how to get here so quickly?"

"Using that vase I figured I could use the power of dream logic to create a great shortcut." He stood on the clouds and stared up at the flying birds overhead. "Since I've already crossed the other terrains to get here, I just had to remember what this world looked like and wa-la! Warp zone!"

"Sounds handy!" Luigi commented as he looked up at the sky as well. "Now where do we go from here?"

"We catch a ride!" Mario climbed to the top a nearby stone pillar. "Follow my lead!"

Mario jumped up high and landed on the back of a red bird that had been carrying bomb. Luigi followed Mario's example and jumped on the back of a nearby second bird. The birds seemed unaware of their passengers and continued their flight to the east of the clouds. On the other side there was a single stone platform with a weed sticking out.

"Watch this Luigi." Mario pulled the weed and a rocketship appeared. "Hang on!"

The brothers were launched higher into the clouds with the assistance of the bizarre rocketship.

"Jump!" Mario pulled Luigi by his good arm and they leapt from the rocket, safely to the clouds below as the rocket continued to soar into the sky then explode!

"Wow..." Luigi commented again. "Glad you told me to jump."

A platoon of ShyGuys and Snifits blocked the pathway that lead ever closer to Wart's Castle.

"C'mon Weege, we can handle these goons!"

"Right!"

After weaving through the patrolling enemies Mario and Luigi found themselves scaling the clouds even higher into the sky and find a single island floating above. A red on the island let them inside where a green Birdo blocked the falcon shaped gate.

"Use the mushroom platform Luigi!" Mario pointed to the single projectile on the floor. "She breathes only fire, she won't spit any eggs for us."

"Okay."

Mario and Luigi tossed the platform to one another. While one distracted Birdo the other used the platform against her. After three hits she fell and spit up the crystal orb which opened the gate.

"Done." Mario remarked calmly. "Once we enter the gate Wart's Castle is waiting for us. You ready for this?"

Luigi straightened his cap. "Ready as I'll ever be!"

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	10. The Showdown and the Awakening

After crossing through the falcon gate Mario and Luigi stood in awe at the sight of the large, marble castle floating the clouds. Snifits and Ninjis were guarding the entrance, but it was not enough to deter the brave brothers.

Mario put his hand on Luigi's good shoulder. "Let's go."

"Lead the way!"

Mario easily jumped over the patrolling foes with Luigi seamlessly following his every move. After entering the castle the brothers found themselves navigating conveyor belts, platforms, chains, Phantos and Birdos before finally finding the final key that would open the red door to the deepest chamber of the castle.

Inside there was a small shrine with a crystal orb left unguarded.

Mario carefully approached the orb. "Weird. This doesn't feel right Weege, it feels like a trap."

"I think you're right bro." Luigi looked around the large room curiously. "Why would they give us an entire squadron of guards and elaborate designs just to give us a clear path to the gate?"

"Exactly." Mario put his palm on the orb. "Keep your eyes peeled." He picked up the orb and it vanished into nothingness.

The Falcon gate, once mounted on the far wall, had been activated by the orb. The gate opened its mouth and left its wall mounts.

"MARIO!" Luigi pointed at the floating gate.

"Whoa!" Mario jumped back and landed on a small mushroom platform. "Use the platforms!"

Working together Mario and Luigi dodged the fast moving gate and threw the platforms against it. After three strong hits the gate stopped moving and hovered in midair. It opened its mouth entirely, awaiting for the brothers to pass through.

Luigi stared at the gate. "Well? Should we go in?"

Mario nodded. "I think so. I think this is, the final gate. That's why it attacked us."

Luigi shuddered. "Creepy! I can't wait to take down Wart and return to our own world!"

"I know what you mean."

Side by side the heroic brothers stepped into the gate and fell to the secret chamber concealed deep below the castle. Multicolored bricks and a hall adorned with Phantos lead the way to the evil King.

At the end of hallway standing on a ledge stood a large, angry frog like creature. He opened his gaping mouth and spit out a barrage of dormant crystal orbs at Mario and Luigi. In the center of the room stood a triad of large vases that consistently launched an assortment of vegetables into the room.

Mario stood for a moment and pondered. "Hey Luigi, think we could take him down with those vegetables?"

"One way to find out!" Luigi stood tall and confident. "After you, bro!"

Leading the charge Mario made his way to the center of the room and grabbed a vegetable. As soon as Wart opened his mouth to launch more crystals at the approaching heroes, Mario threw the small projectile and it landed directly into Wart's mouth. He stood in shock at the bizarre attack but soon resumed his own attack against the brothers.

"Luigi, it works!" Mario called out as he grabbed another vegetable.

"Great shot Mario!"

Catching and throwing vegetable after vegetable at Wart the large green King finally fell in battle. His body turned gray and smoke clouds puffed from his mouth.

"You..." The fallen King muttered. "cannot stop me. You... cannot stop... dreams."

Wart fell from the platform and faded away into nothingness as he passed through the multicolored bricks.

A bright white doorway appeared on the floor, below Wart's ledge.

Without questioning their next step, Mario and Luigi crossed the room and walked into the door. They entered a stained glass chamber with a single large vase in the middle of the room, on its own shrine. A large cork was holding whatever was inside of it in place.

Mario leapt to the top of the vase and pulled the cork out of he vessel. A dozen or so Subcons gratefully flew from their prison and floated over Mario and Luigi's heads.

"Thank you Mario. Thank you Luigi."

Mario and Luigi stood together and breathed a sigh of relief. "We're glad you're okay."

"Indeed. Your quest is over. Our realm is safe." The Subcons all bowed their heads in respect. "But now, it's time for you to wake up."

In a flash of white light Mario and Luigi sat upright off the floor. They looked around confused and realized that they were back in the mansion and laying in front of the Dream Door.

"Mario?" Luigi rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Was that real or a dream?"

"I... I don't know!" Mario spied Lady Bow hovering protectively nearby. "Lady Bow, what happened?"

The green Boo smiled and hovered down toward the brothers. "You traveled into the realm of dreams and restored the balance between our worlds. Well done."

"But... did we really go through the door?"

Bow smiled broader. "You did. In your dream."

 _ **-The End**_


End file.
